Roller side bearing.



A. STUGKI.

ROLLER SIDE BEARING.

1,096,472. Patented May 12, 1914,

1 .fglgcfi. jg 2 WITNESSES INVENTOR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARNOLD s'rucn, or PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

noLLnn-smr: BEARING.

Specification of Iietters Patent.

Patented May 12, 191 4.

Application filed March 4, i911. SerialNo. eiasxso.

a of side bearings, which is inexpensive both as to first cost and subsequent repair and particularly one so arranged that the rollers or anti-friction elements are so controlled that said roller will always be in proper position to takethe load of the car'and to travel with all changes of angular relation of the bolsters, and which controlling means is so arranged that theroller or other antifriction element cannot be displaced even by severe end shocks or jolts on the car.

Roller or other anti-friction side bearings 'for cars ate of considerable valuein reducing friction, but in order to perform this function it is necessary that the rollers travel along the bearing surfaces with all changes in the angular relation of the bolsters and irrespective of whether the bolsters are closed normal or apart vertically. If the roller does not do this it will happen that the bolsters or hearings will come together with. the roller in such position that on change in angular relation of the bolster the roller cannot roll, that is, it will be against one end or the other of the bearing housing, in which case it must slide and would really be worse than a solid bearing.

I have heretofore proposed an arrangement for causing the roller to travel with all changes in the angular relations of the bolsters and irrespective of whether the bolsters bearings are partly separated or are tightly contacting.

The present improvement has for its purpose the same object, with theaddition that the parts are so arranged that the roller cannot become displaced or moved to one end or the other of the housing under severe'endwise shocks or jolts on the car.

The invention comprises the construction and arrangement-of parts hereinafter described andclaimed. p

In theaccompanying 'drawings'Fig'ure 1 is guideway's 5 for the journals or trunnions a vertical sectional view, takentransverse'to the axis of the roller,throu embodying the invention; i 2 is a'similrtr view, showing a modified um of plate; and Fi 3 is a vertical setional'vie'w,

a side bearing taken longitu inally of the axis of the roller,

and corresponding to Fig. 1 eir'oept that. slightly modified form ofspring plate is shown.

In the drawings the side bearing is shown as adapted to be applied to a tapering body bolster. Obviously, however, it may be adapted to a truck bolster or to a bolster of stralght form.

The side bearing "comprises a suitable frame or housing 1 having itsupperfa'oe formed either straight or on an 'incline to fit either a straight or tapering bolster, the latter being indlcated di'a ammatically at 2. This housin' is provide with projecting flanges 3 provi ed with holes for receiving bolts or rivets for connectin' the bearing to the bolster, althou h obvious y it ina be integral with the olster, if desire The housing is provided with a downwardly projecting outside web 4 and inside web- 4% These webs, as shown in Fig. 3, are provided with outwardly ofi'set portions '5, which forin of the roller 11, which is free to travel in thehousin from end to end thereof along the lower ring 16. The bottoms of the *guideways 5? are formed "by the inwardly projeeting'flanges 9, which prevent the roller from dropping out of the'housing when the truck is removed, but 'whih'ar'e suficiently low downto permit s'ufilcie'nt vertical move- 'ment to roller 11 so'that the latter-remains in constant contact with the-lower truck or hearing 16 during all normal clearances between the bolsters. The'ends of the housing maybe open or may be provided with downwardly'projec'ting-end anges or webs 20, as shown in Fig. 1. Suitable revision ispreferably made either in theb'ottom'flange's9 or in one of the end flanges orwebs 20 to permit of the insertion and removal of the roller '11,

such, for instance, as leaving the guideway 5* 0 en at one end. a

T e roller i1 is of a-plain solid construction, either cylindrical or conical, but-preferabl'y the latter, as indicated i-nF ig. 3. The housing itself is also arc-shaped, being struck'about the center plate or king-pin as a center, so that the'rolle'r rolls thereon withbolsters and also to prevent the roller frombecoming displaced from severe end shocks to the car, comprises a suitable spring member which may be arranged in various relations and ways. Fig. 1 shows for this purpose a bearin plate 17 in the housing 1 and bearing against the upper face of the roller for the full length thereof and form i ing a bearing along which said roller travels. Said plate is constructed of spring steel and its ends are held under or are loosely secured to the extended end portions or flanges 20 of the housing 1, thereby leaving a free space between the plate and the lower surface of the housing in which the plate bend. Said plate forms both a bearing surface and a spring, its eifect be ing to force the roller constantly downwardly against the lower bearing or bolster 16 during all normal clearances of the bolsters. so that on any change in angular relation between the bolsters the roller is frictionally actuated to roll in one direction or the other in the housing, its upper surface rolling on the plate 17 and its lower surface traveling on the lower bearing 16. At the same time the spring pressure is sufficiently great so that it prevents displacement of the roller under heavy end shocks on the car, which would otherwise tend to throw the roller toward one or the other end of the housing. As a consequence the roller is always in proper position when the bolsters come together, that is, in such position that it is free. to roll in either direction with changes in the angular relations of the bolster, so that said roller cannot become locked at one or the other end of the housing and cease to act as an anti-friction element. If

the bolsters separate to an abnormal extent the trunnions of the roller come into contact with the lower ledges 9 of the housing and the latter prevent the rollers from dropping out or escaping. In this case the roller will no longer bear against the lower hearing or housing 16. The parts are, however, so designcd and proportioned that this does not occur in normal service operation of cars but only in case of accident, such as when the car leaves the truck, or when the trucks are taken from underneath the car in the repair shop.

Fig. 2 shows a modified form of the invention in which the roller is acted upon by means of a plate spring 17 whose ends are curved upwardly and toward each other and secured in or to the housing 1, being held in place by the bolster 2' The plate 17, in this caseas well as in that shown in Fig. 1, forms both a spring and a bearing member. In both forms the bearing plate, or the spring plate which also serves as a hearing plate. is of a width corresponding to the length of the roller 11, so that said roller has a bearing on said plate or spring for its entire length, thereby giving alarge surface for frictional contact and insuring the non-displacement of the roller under any conditions. If desired. however, the spring plate may be narrower than the length of the roller. Fig. 3 shows a construction in which the spring plate 17 is comparatively narrow and bears against the roller over only a portion of its surface between the ends thereof.

lVith all forms of the device during all normal clearances between the bolsters the roller is held in constant contact with the lower hearing or bolster by means of the. spring plate with sufiicient force to create strong frictional pressure on both the top and bottom surfaces of theroller. Consequently the roller is caused to frictionally roll in the housing with all. changes in the angular relations of the bolster. The pressure also is suflicient to create so much friction that the roller cannot be jolted out of its position toward one end or the other of the housing due to end shocks on the car. At the same time. when the roller does move it moves with rolling friction only, since it rolls both at its top and bottom along surfaces; or in other words its peripheral speed is necessarily-the same as the speed of movement of the top and bottom bearing surfaces. There can therefore, be no sliding or slipping of either of the bearing surfaces on the roller, and the action is truly a rolling one and entirely free. from other than rolling friction. and this is not affected by the fact that the springs used are very strong. All that is necessary is that the pressure of the spring be at least great enough to cause sufiicient friction between the roller and the two adjoining bearing plates, so as to keep the roller in absolute control. even under heavy end shocks.

The bearing described is of comparatively simple construction, comprising practically only three or at most four parts, to-wit, the housing, the roller and the spring. The housing is entirely open on its bottom so that it cannot clog with dirt or the like to interfere with its free operation. Obviously the bearing operates exactly the same if turned upside down and secured to the bottom bolster with the roller I bearing against an upper bearing or bolster.

Various changes may be made in the form and arrangement of the parts without de' parting from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is:

hearing against said housing, the surface of 1. A side bearing for cars comprising a 1 said plate member forming a bearing along housing for a car bolster, a roller free to roll 1 which said roller rolls, said plate member 15 in said housing, and a spring member in a 5 said housin and having a bearing surface 3 the cooperating bearin said roller rolls, said spring;

alon w-hic mem er acting to press the roller constantly in said housing, and a plate member formed of s rin metal and havin its end ortions acting to force the roller constantly toward or bolster.

In testimony whereo I have hereunto set my hand.

ARNOLD STUCKI.

Witnesses F. W. WINTER, MARY E. CAI-ICON. 

